Cypress Creek gains official paddle trail status, Regatta cancelled

Published 10:39 am, Monday, September 12, 2016

Paddlers race in a previous Cypress Creek Regatta event. Cypress Creek is now recognized as an official Texas paddle trail by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Paddlers race in a previous Cypress Creek Regatta event. Cypress Creek is now recognized as an official Texas paddle trail by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Cypress Creek gains official paddle trail status, Regatta cancelled

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The Bayou Preservation Association announced the cancellation of their third annual Cypress Creek Regatta that was to be held Saturday, Sept. 17 due to the possibility of flash flooding.

“The race course (7.5 mile stretch from Mercer Arboretum to Jesse Jones Park in Humble) is downstream from two major watersheds, so we had to be cautious because of the probability of rain,” Steve Hupp, Bayou Preservation Association water quality director, said. “It’s a safety issue. Cancelling is inconvenient, but flash floods would be even worse.”

This year’s Cypress Creek Regatta will not be rescheduled, but the Bayou Preservation Association intends to continue this event next year.

“This event serves many purposes,” Hupp said. “It brings exposure to the paddle trail we are developing and lets us inform people about the paddling trail program. We want people to get out and enjoy this natural amenity and to show them they can enjoy the creeks and bayous right here in the Houston area.

“It brings a sense of stewardship of their local waterways and encourages people not to litter, to practice good landscaping and to retain water if it can be retained. This event helps them (become) engaged in their waterways. Also, we like to have a good time and enjoy the water.”

The regatta may have been canceled, but there is still cause for the Bayou Preservation Association supporters to celebrate.

“The Cypress Creek paddling trail begins at Telge Road and continues 35 miles to U.S. Highway 59 at the upper end of Lake Houston,” Hupp said. “We’ve been working on this for quite a while, but the weather was working against us. Finally, the weather cooperated. The evaluation was conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday and it met all of the criteria for a Texas Paddling Trail.”

The Bayou Preservation Association intends to hold an inaugural event at a later date yet to be determined.

“Now that Cypress Creek is an official Texas Paddling Trail, this means that it will get more exposure to the public as a location where people can feel confident they will have an enjoyable recreational experience,” Hupp said. “It’s the second one we’ve done. We did the Buffalo Bayou paddle trail a few years ago. We’re also working to help get this done for Brays Bayou and Greens Bayou.”

Having just recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in May, the Bayou Preservation Association is proud to continue their efforts to enjoy, maintain and restore the bayous, streams and watersheds of Houston and surrounding areas.

The Bayou Preservation Association encourages people to make reservations with Harris County Precinct 4 to paddle the Cypress Creek paddle trail for them, weather permitting.

“We encourage people to get out there on that water,” Hupp said. “It’s a great location to go paddling. That was the whole reason for the regatta: to engage the community in their waterways.”